10 Tips for Winterizing Your Home

Winter is finally here. You can tell by the bare trees, early evenings, and layer of frost every morning. If you haven’t winterized your home yet, there’s still time. Run through these winterization tips to keep your home safe, efficient and warm during winter.

1. Request Maintenance for Your Home’s Heating

Your furnace has been unused all summer. To make preparations for another heating season, arrange for a visit from a qualified technician to examine, clean and tune up the equipment. The most affordable way to keep your heating system in tip-top shape over time is to sign up for a Maintenance+ membership.

2. Have Your Fireplace Inspected

Hire a professional to evaluate and clean your wood-burning stove or fireplace annually. This service takes care of ash, soot and creosote buildup, which can cause chimney fires. It also provides you peace of mind that the masonry, chimney liner, crown, and other fireplace components are in good condition.

3. Seal Air Leaks

As you start to run your furnace all winter, try to find and seal air leaks that allow cold outdoor air to get inside. The easiest way to discover leaks is to hold a lit candle or incense stick all around areas that may be leaky, including near windows and doors, recessed light fixtures, plumbing penetrations and electrical outlets. Then, seal the leaks you’ve found with weatherstripping, caulk, foam gaskets and expanding spray foam.

4. Keep Ceiling Fans in Reverse

Ceiling fans keep you cool in the summer, but they can also distribute warm air down to the living space in the winter. For better results, set your fans on low and flip the switch to run them in reverse. This tactic is most effective in stairwells and rooms with high ceilings.

5. Install Insulating Drapes

Another way to winterize your home is to trade out light, summery window coverings for heavy, insulating drapes. Make sure to pull back the drapes during the day so the sun continues warming your home for free. Then, shut the curtains after dark for increased insulation against the frigid night air.

6. Insulate Your Pipes

As the temperature falls, exposed pipes are at risk of freezing and bursting. Add foam pipe insulation to plumbing in the garage, crawlspace or unfinished basement to prevent this. Electric heat tape beneath the insulation gives you an additional layer of protection in especially cold climates.

7. Install Smoke Alarms & Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Sealing up your house, baking more and heating with combustion appliances increases the risk of home fires and carbon monoxide poisoning in the winter. Use caution with matches, candles and other open flames, and make sure your smoke alarms are functional. Then, put in CO detectors on every floor of your home, especially near sleeping areas. Test your alarms every month and replace the batteries twice yearly.

8. Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat

Do you still own an old analog thermostat? You could save on heating bills this winter by getting a programmable model. Pre-programmed settings fine-tune the temperature at various times of the day, so you can set it and forget it. A Wi-Fi thermostat is an innovative option that lets you adjust the settings remotely by using an internet-enabled device. You also benefit from automatically generated energy reports and maintenance tips.

9. Prevent Ice Dams

Ice dams are ridges of ice that form along the eaves, blocking melted snow from draining off the roof. Left unaddressed, ice dams can allow water to flow under the shingles and damage things in the attic. Follow these tips to avoid ice dams this winter:

• Clean the gutters so water can drain like it’s supposed to.
• Ventilate the attic to prevent heat buildup that can melt snow from underneath.
• Seal attic floor penetrations to stop heated air from rising through the ceiling.

• Insulate the attic floor to further restrict heat transfer through the ceiling.
• Seal and insulate ductwork up in the attic.
• Confirm your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans and the dryer vent lead outdoors, not into the attic.

10. Keep Deicer Close By

Slips and falls are more common in icy winter weather. Keep your sidewalks and driveway safe by sprinkling salt, kitty litter or chemical deicer along the pavement to melt the ice and snow. Be sure to read the directions for correct application tips and suggested precautions.

Winterizing Your Home with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning

Many winterization tips relate primarily to your home heating, cooling, and plumbing equipment. If you need help winterizing your home, reach out to Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. We offer affordable furnace maintenance and repair, plumbing work, and other services to prepare you for cold weather. For more information about our services or to arrange an estimate, please contact your local Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning office today.